Interstate 265 and 275 in Kentucky
| I-265 | |||
| Get started | Valley Station | ||
| End | Green Spring | ||
| Length | 29 mi | ||
| Length | 46 km | ||
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Interstate 265 or I -265 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The freeway forms an incomplete ring road around the city of Louisville, part of which is in Indiana, Interstate 265 in Indiana. The highway is sometimes called the Gene Snyder Freeway. The section in Kentucky is 46 kilometers long.
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Travel directions
I-265 is a continuation of KY-841, which forms the portion of the beltway west of I-65. This section between US 31 and Interstate 65 is also a freeway and has 2×2 lanes. I-265 passes south of Louisville, and has a turbine interchange with Interstate 65. The highway then runs around the southeast side of the Louisville metropolitan area and has 2×2 lanes here as well. East of Louisville then follows a cloverleaf cloverleaf with Interstate 64. Next, I-265 forms the east ring and passes by Ford’s Kentucky Truck Assembly. Northeast of Louisville then follows a cloverleaf with Interstate 71. The highway then leads through some expensive suburbs and has a short tunnel at the junction with US 42. The Lewis and Clark Bridge then crosses the Ohio River, after which Interstate 265 in Indiana continues around the northern suburbs of Louisville.
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History
Interstate 265 is a somewhat newer highway, and especially interesting for regional traffic, and through traffic from I-65 to I-71. The first section opened about 1973, little more than an exit off I-64 east of Louisville. This also continued for a long time, only about 10 years later a piece south of I-71 was opened, it took until 1987 before the last part east of I-65 was opened.
For a long time, the connection over the Ohio River on the border between Kentucky and Indiana was missing. Since Louisville also did not have a bridge over the Ohio River west of the city, the beltway was cut into two parts of little interest for through traffic and circular traffic around the metropolitan area. The only bridges over the Ohio River were near downtown Louisville.
The missing section of I-265 was 9 kilometers long, including 4 kilometers in Kentucky and 5 kilometers in Indiana. The missing part was constructed between 2013 and 2016. The Lewis and Clark Bridge opened to traffic on December 18, 2016, completing I-265 on the east side of Louisville.
Naming
Called the Gene Snyder Freeway, I-265 is named after Gene Snyder (1928-2007), a Louisville politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1963 to 1987. He provided funding for I-265.
Future
There are no concrete plans to build I-265 west of Louisville as well. This part of the route would be almost entirely in Indiana.
There are plans to widen a 12-mile section of I-265 on the east side of Louisville to 2×3 lanes. A space reservation is available in the central reservation for this, which means that the project has relatively low costs. In 2018, the cost was estimated at $91 million. The project is included in the ‘I-Move Kentucky’ program.
Toll
I-265 is largely toll-free, but the Lewis and Clark Bridge is a toll road with electronic toll collection.
Traffic intensities
Daily 90,000 vehicles travel east of I-65, then 70,000 to 80,000 vehicles travel along the southeast side of Louisville to the interchange with I-64, and 70,000 to 75,000 vehicles travel along the east side of Louisville to I-71.
Interstate 275 in Kentucky
| I-275 | |||
| Get started | Highland Heights | ||
| End | Elizabethtown | ||
| Length | 29 mi | ||
| Length | 46 km | ||
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Interstate 275 or I -275 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The highway forms the ring road from Cincinnati, and the portion in Kentucky is 46 miles long. A marginal piece is still in Indiana. The I-275 forms the southern ring of the city here.
Travel directions
I-275 at the Dixie Highway.
2×3 lanes cross the wide Ohio River where Interstate 275 in Ohio comes out of the eastern suburbs. Almost immediately one crosses Interstate 471, which leads to Newport and Cincinnati. I-275 continues through the southern suburbs, which are all quite small but have a large population. Via a four-layer stack junction, one crosses Interstate 75, which is double-numbered with Interstate 71. Then you pass the Cincinnati International Airport. After that, the agglomeration is more or less left. I-275 makes a fairly wide arc west of Cincinnati. Via a long bridge of 600 meters you cross the wide Ohio River again. Then you briefly arrive in Indiana, where there is only one exit. Then Interstate 275 in Ohio continues northeast again.
History
I-275 was built in Kentucky in the 1970s. The most difficult part was between I-71/I-75 and the Ohio Bridge southeast of Cincinnati, as this part is very hilly. Construction began in 1971 and was completed in 1976. The western portion opened to traffic in 1979, including the portion through Indiana, completing the entire Cincinnati Beltway.
Traffic intensities
Every day, 75,000 vehicles cross the Ohio River bridge at Newport, then rising slightly to 85,000 to 105,000 vehicles along the south side of the conurbation, the busiest point being at the interchange with I-71/75. Thereafter, 75,000 vehicles drive to the airport and 35,000 vehicles west of the airport to the Indiana border.